Matt Damon Explains Why He Really, Really Loves Working With George Clooney

More than just individually two of the biggest stars in the world, Matt Damon and George Clooney have a habit of producing some great work together when they collaborate. First getting together as part of the ensemble of Steven Soderbergh’s Oceans 11 back in 2001, they’ve since appeared in four other movies together, the fifth coming out this weekend: The Monuments Men.

But while it’s clear that the two actors have a great working relationship and enjoy doing projects together, their latest features an important dynamic change. Monuments Men is the first time that Damon has worked with Clooney as a director on a full feature (discounting the quick cameo the former made in the latter’s debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind). While you may think that would have a certain effect on the on-set relationship, however, the reality is that the two had enough trust in each other that their rapport could go unchanged.

This was just one of the topics I touched on when I recently had the chance to sit down with Damon to talk about his role in Monuments Men. In the film, Damon stars as James Granger, one of seven historians, architects and curators who crossed into enemy territory during the end of World War II to try and protect Europe’s most precious art and artifacts from the Nazi forces that wished to either steal or destroy it. Watch my interview with the actor above to find out about how Clooney first approached him about the project, how his respect for his friend’s work played a role in the production, and what it was like seeing film and its fantastic ensemble of actors on the big screen for the first time.